MCAN 2018 Annual Conference
 
Breakout Sessions
MCAN is able to offer 14 SCECHs, free of charge, for eligible participants who attend the entire conference. Please look for the SCECHs Check-in/Check-out table near registration.

BREAKOUT SESSION 1
Monday, March 12 | 1:45 – 2:45 p.m.

Brothers in Action: Cultivating the Talents of African American Students Through Leadership, Scholarship, and Service
Room 203

National Student Clearinghouse data shows that only 38% of African American students will complete their college degrees, compared to 63% of white students. In response, Adrian College initiated the Brothers in Action organization to improve sense of purpose and belonging, as well as completion to graduation for African American students. Through cultivation of leadership, scholarship, and service, participants in Brothers in Action develop their professionalism and traits that are considered desirable by employers. This session will detail the development of the Brothers in Action organization at Adrian College, share some of the key personal growth opportunities involvement in the program provides, and highlight the impact on participants, the college, and the surrounding community.

Presenters: Linda Jacobs, Adrian College and Amila Zecevic, Adrian College

Track: Supporting Special Populations

College Advising for Refugee Youth
Room 103/104

Refugee youth experience unique barriers to their education, particularly with regard to postsecondary credential attainment. With a substantial population of refugee youth residing in Michigan, it is important that steps are taken to address their needs. School counselors, college advisers, and other school professionals can aid refugee students by developing essay writing skills, increasing knowledge of resources available, practicing verbal skills in classroom settings, and explaining the financial aid process in detail. To create a comprehensive education plan, school staff should educate themselves on the backgrounds and cultures of refugee youth. Higher education institutes should work to create campus resources for refugee students as well.

Presenter: Shelbie Spear, AdviseMI

Track: Supporting Special Populations

Developing a Building-Wide College Access Strategy
Room 201

For several years, the Hazel Park Promise Zone Authority has worked closely with Hazel Park district and building-level staff to develop a high school-wide college access strategy. While the Promise Zone scholarship program was the catalyst in Hazel Park, the strategies implemented could be modeled in any high school. Components have included external partnerships and creation of a Postsecondary Advisory Council made up of administrators, counselors, teachers, and college access professionals. Session participants will learn more about what has worked well in Hazel Park and will have the opportunity to share ideas and strategies from their own communities.

Presenters: Kayla Roney Smith, Hazel Park Promise and Whitney Bernstein, Hazel Park High School

Track: Early Awarness

Growing Tomorrow's Talent Today
Room 202

Many students are struggling to find the direction and resources to successfully complete their postsecondary training and degrees. MI Bright Future is a tool designed to unequivocally help students identify a pathway or a career goal, which can be a powerful motivator in arming students with what they need to participate and complete their college education. Career knowledge provides the motivation for postsecondary degree completion. Participate with panelists, while we discuss the critical need for students to understand the connection between the classroom and the real world to persist in educational pathways.

Presenters: Lisa Gordon, Workforce Intelligence Network; Sharon Miller, Consumers Energy; and Fran McBride, St. Clair RESA

Track: Postsecondary Education Pathways

Have It Your Way Campus Visits
Room 205

Attending a campus tour can serve as a barrier to students and families who come from underrepresented, under-resourced, and/or under-served backgrounds. In an effort to get more middle and high school students thinking about college, the University of Michigan Center for Educational Outreach has created tailored campus visits to fill those gaps that aren't met by traditional admissions routes. In this session, attendees will learn tools that make campus visits more specific to meet the needs and desires of students who come from traditionally under-resourced communities. This session is tailored to meet the needs of people interested in increasing college access for underrepresented populations.

Presenter: Andrea Layton, University of Michigan and Mollie Bush, University of Michigan

Track: College Counseling and Advising

Partnering with Philanthropy to Build and Sustain a Network
Room 101/102

When networks are as busy as Launch Manistee and operating on limited resources, network development and evaluation work often takes a back seat to the day-to-day operations and planning that needs to be done. In February, 2017 Launch Manistee began a project in collaboration with Rotary Charities of Traverse City with a goal to evaluate the network regarding its needs and resources. Launch Manistee was able to utilize this project in conjunction with their Network Development Plan to further increase the capacity and sustainability of the network. Join this session to learn about Launch Manistee’s work with Rotary Charities of Traverse City.

Presenters: Mary Ann Behm, Launch Manistee and Rebecca Ewing, Rotary Charities of Traverse City

Track: Network Development

Promising Practices at Early/Middle Colleges
Governor’s Room

What makes Early/Middle Colleges in Michigan a sustainable model? During the last five years, the Michigan Department of Education and Michigan Early Middle College Association have identified the people, practices, partnerships and policies that are reshaping the college readiness system for thousands of students. Both qualitative and quantitative research suggests that Michigan's model is a formula for helping students in the middle to dream about and achieve college completion. The session challenges districts to execute recruitment strategies for students who are under-served, underrepresented and under-achieving.

Presenters: Beverly Brown, Michigan Department of Education and Chery Wagonlander, Michigan Early Middle College Association

Track: College Persistence and Completion

Using Research to Become a Better College Counselor or Adviser
Room 204

College counseling and advising is a very down-to-earth activity, while educational research can sometimes seem a little lofty and unrelated to our daily work. Is there a way to use educational research in a way that can improve our work with students, families, and colleges? What resources are out there that make access to research more attainable, and how can practitioners contribute to the literature in the growing field of college access research? Join the founders and co-editors of the Journal of College Access in the exploration of these questions, as well as an overview of the latest trends in college access research.

Presenters: Patrick O'Connor, Cranbrook Schools and Christopher Tremblay, MSU Gifted and Talented Education

Track: College Counseling and Advising


BREAKOUT SESSION 2
Monday, March 12 | 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Banning Scholarships: A Foundation's New Approach to College Success
Governor’s Room

There is a growing body of evidence recognizing that financial challenges are a root cause of low completion rates at community colleges. The Community Foundation of St. Clair County recognizes that traditional scholarships which provide financial assistance at the front end of a student's journey are not addressing the reality of life needs that prohibit a student’s completion. The Community Foundation has partnered with St. Clair County Community College (SC4) to create a revolutionary young-adult program that supports students with the cost of attendance to SC4, and on a case-by-case basis will assist with life needs. This session addresses an innovative approach to increase student retention levels by focusing on alleviating the financial barriers that happen when life gets in the way.

Presenters Aimee Gudme, Community Foundation of St. Clair County; Jo Cassar, St. Clair County Community College; Kevin Totty, Community Foundation of St. Clair County

Track: College Persistence and Completion

College 101 – Engaging Students to Connect Passion to Education
Room 201

As educators, professionals, and administrators, how do we engage students to invest in their education? Our suggestion is through programs like College 101 that support learning outside of the classroom. This hour-long session will include an introduction to Dr. Hernandez’ Real Talk concepts and practices, and how they are used in the College 101 program. Creating college access isn’t solely about opening the doors, but rather preparing students to maintain an intrinsic level of motivation to persist and overcome challenges they will face inside and outside of the classroom.

Presenters: Vincent Thurman, Lansing Community College and Maggie Fibrandt, College 101

Track: Early Awareness

Facilitating College Access: Enacting Strengths-Based Perspectives of Youth
Room 103/104

This session connects research and practice on culturally relevant education and college access, providing valuable insight for educators seeking to support the college readiness and access of youth of color. We will share findings from two research studies that highlight the perspectives of Black and Latina/o youth and the educators who work with them as they navigate the mixed messages youth encounter about their college readiness and access. Participants will be supported in considering how to develop a culturally relevant school-wide college-going culture in their respective schools to disrupt negative stereotypes about youth of color and support their college access.

Presenters: Joanne E. Marciano, Michigan State University and Michelle G. Knight-Manuel, Columbia University

Track: Supporting Special Populations

Helping Students Create a Balanced College List Using Match and Fit
Room 202

This session will center on creating a balanced college list that meets the match and fit of the individual student. Navigating the huge variety of colleges and universities available to seniors can be a daunting task. As a result, seniors often create lists based upon factors other than their individual characteristics and passions, such as where their parents went, where their friends are applying, or solely based upon school name/reputation. Attendees will learn how to help students navigate the process of creating a college list using college search websites, student activities, and guidebooks.

Presenters: Cathy Longstreet, Hasting High School; Kelly Ibarra, Hastings High School; and Kailee Palchak, AdviseMI

Track: Postsecondary Education Pathways

Love Your Library: Libraries as Ideal Partners for Improving College and Career Readiness for Young People
Room 101/102

Community libraries are places where teens feel welcomed and comfortable learning, being entertained, or just hanging out. This presentation will provide an overview of the variety of library activities targeted to youth and teens, which help students explore college and careers, and be better prepared for life after high school. The presenters will describe some of the benefits of partnering with local libraries to bring educational programs and resources to the communities that need them. Based on stakeholder interviews, site visits, and surveys of libraries in the state and nationwide, the presenters will discuss library offerings which better prepare students for college and careers, and ways organizations can collaborate with libraries to improve college and career readiness for young people in their communities.

Presenters: Michele Behr, Western Michigan University and Catherine Lancaster, Library of Michigan

Track: Network Development

MI School Data: College Enrollment and Success Data
Room 204

This session is designed to explore what MISchoolData provides users to access a number of postsecondary data sets, including college enrollment, persistence, remediation, and completion. Participants will learn how to: navigate the website to analyze data sets at the building, district, county, and state levels, locate data sets for enrollment, persistence, remediation, and completion, and develop a plan for using multiple measures to increase enrollment, persistence, and completion rates.

Presenters: Stan Masters, Lenawee ISD and Kelsey Heckert, Center for Educational Performance and Information

Track: College Counseling and Advising

Reducing Remediation through a High School and Postsecondary Partnership
Room 205

In 2014, Jackson County Cradle to Career Education Network was awarded a Lumina Foundation Community Partnership for Attainment grant. Our primary project, the JPS/JC Lumina Bridge Partnership, was a pilot program intended to increase the college application, enrollment, remediation and persistence rates of "at-risk" students by improving the collaborative relationship of a local high school and a local community college. The partners were the Jackson County Cradle to Career Education Network, Jackson College and Jackson High School. This session will describe how the high school/postsecondary school partnership was created, the challenges we faced, successes and lessons learned.

Presenter: Irene LeCrone, Jackson County Cradle to Career Education Network; Teresa Double, Jackson High School; and Todd Butler, Jackson College

Track: College Persistence and Completion

Supporting Students who Experience Foster Care in the Education to Career Pipeline
Room 203

Students who are in foster can be an invisible population in the education environment. There are a variety of postsecondary resources for students who have experienced time in foster care. But how do you figure it all out!? This presentation will walk you through these resources - how to access them and when to do so. It is not ONLY financial resources that help students who have experienced time in foster care achieve success in college, but the comprehensive and tailored support offered at many colleges and universities statewide. This workshop will explore the importance of campus-based support programs, and your individual role in helping students from foster care access higher education!

Presenters: Ann Rossi, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Maddy Day, Fostering Success Michigan

Track: Supporting Special Populations


BREAKOUT SESSION 3
Tuesday, March 13 | 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.

Bridging The Gap
Governor’s Room

The primary purpose of bridge programs is to assist under-performing or under-represented students in their transition to a college environment. In the transition, students may not understand how to carve a path of their own in their new community. We can better cultivate our students by treating them as terrariums that require specialized plants and care, rather than a homestead with crops that need harvesting before the season ends. Through working with other access professionals, we can examine some of the resources available to students and discuss best practices for our student’s growth. Besides examining current bridge programs and discussing best practices, this session will offer ideas on how to collaborate with various higher education departments and community organizations to provide an interactive environment for students.

Presenters: Sydney James, Michigan State University and Simone Dixon, AdviseMI

Track: College Persistence and Completion

Crossing the FAFSA Line: Sharing Research, Experiences and Best Practices from those who Know it Best … You!
Room 204

Many high schools try to prioritize FAFSA completion but struggle with low completion rates, student engagement and parent understanding. Every counselor and adviser knows the importance of FAFSA completion and creating a college-going culture at their schools. After two years of implementing the Race to the FAFSA Line Challenge, the Detroit Regional Chamber is offering this session to focus on cultivating a community of practice on this important topic. This interactive and discussion-based session will focus on why the FAFSA is so important and how schools in Southeast Michigan are promoting completion through cross-sector partnerships and innovative school-level strategies.

Presenter: Sarah Craft, Detroit Regional Chamber and Rayven McMurray, AdviseMI

Track: College Counseling and Advising

Developing Cultural Agility to Identify Michigan Talent
Room 103/104

Self-awareness, including identification of one's cultural identity and implicit biases, is key to engaging learners and recognizing learner talents. Too often, unhelpful social narratives become reality for educator perception and learner self-perception, resulting in talent not being recognized or intentionally overlooked. This can lead to learner disengagement, discouragement, and lack of pursuit of higher education. For educators, understanding and acknowledging one's cultural self and implicit biases is a first step toward movement on the cultural encapsulation to cultural engagement continuum. Join this session to participate in activities and discussions on developing and strengthening your cultural agility muscles and assisting in disrupting unhelpful social narratives.

Presenter: Marcy Peake, Western Michigan University

Track: Supporting Special Populations

Making the Case: LCAN Development and Sustainability in Rural Communities
Room 101/102

Tuscola County is a rural community in Michigan's "Thumb" with a population of 53,777 and degree attainment of 26.6%. Rural communities are known for their small, home-town family feel, but also tend to have minimal discussion of postsecondary education. In 2011, community leaders established a network to determine whether a local college access network (LCAN) would be the best fit for Tuscola County. After five years of planning, data collecting and making a case for development in the community, the Tuscola Career and College Access Network was implemented in August of 2017. The presenter will discuss strategies to determine whether an LCAN is best fit for your community, and how to increase engagement by creating a social media presence.

Presenter: Emily Smigiel, Vassar High School

Track: Network Development

Michigan’s Registered Apprenticeship Education Pathway
Room 202

In the fall of 2016, Michigan received $2.7 million in grant funding from the U.S. Department of Labor to expand apprenticeship in the state. As result of the grant, Michigan is looking to secure 1,004 new Registered Apprentices, and 20 new Registered Apprenticeship Programs. Join us for an overview of the Talent Investment Agency’s (TIA) support of Apprenticeship through policy and practice. TIA will share its registered apprenticeship strategy including investments made and resources available to assist registered apprenticeship sponsors or individual apprentices complete this education and training model. Audience members will hear how apprenticeships have assisted in individuals meeting their education and training goals.

Presenter: Lauren Jackson, Talent Investment Agency

Track: Postsecondary Education Pathways

School Counselors – Agents of Postsecondary Hope
Room 205

Amid a growing national recognition of the need for some postsecondary training beyond high school, the school counselor has emerged as a potential campus leader of both college and workforce readiness. This session will highlight the core mission of school counselors and the importance of integrating their student centered roles into postsecondary planning tables, as a foundational strategy for implementing interventions that are inextricable to the economic welfare of the nation. The State of School Counseling: Revisiting the Path Forward 2017, a report by the National Consortium for School Counseling and Postsecondary Success (NCSCPS.org) will be reviewed.

Presenter: Joyce Brown, National Consortium for School Counseling and Postsecondary Success

Track: College Counsling and Advising

Strengthening Pathways to College: Using Digital Tools to Reach Rural Students
Room 203

How does rurality influence rural student perceptions of higher education and their pathways to attaining it? Our research on rural Michigan high school students explores this question, and uses its conclusions to shape how digital tools can build college preparation and outreach efforts that are both scalable and personalizable to effectively reach rural students. We will showcase “Intend to Attend”, an initiative in the Office of Academic Innovation at the University of Michigan. Our preliminary design imagines three interdependent elements: an array of learning opportunities, a tailored electronic coaching system, and a four-year gameful preparation environment.

Presenters: Megan Taylor, Office of Academic Innovation at the University of Michigan and Amy Homkes-Hayes, Office of Academic Innovation at the University of Michigan

Track: Supporting Special Populations

Using the AP Potential Tool for Advising
Room 201

This session will demonstrate how College Board’s AP Potential tool for educators can be utilized to advise students. The tool can be customized for use at the 9-11th grade levels. The tool can produce parent letters, and recruiting lists for AP teachers. The session will also demonstrate how to find the AP Potential Access Code on the Roster report in the CB K-12 Portal, and how to add the AP Potential tool to a user account. Once in their own school data, attendees will be encouraged to download the data into spreadsheet format, and will also learn how to sort and search. Participants will discuss the impact on AP Programs at the school level, and will discuss parent outreach.

Presenter: Ted Gardella, College Board

Track: Early Awareness


BREAKOUT SESSION 4
Tuesday, March 13 | 1:15 – 2:15 p.m.

A Cross-County Collaborative Retention & Persistence Partnership
Governor’s Room

This session will review the Community Scholarship Program in Washtenaw County and how this multi-year scholarship model has leveraged cross-sector resources to yield promising results improving college access and persistence rates for targeted student populations. How has a community college, university, community foundation, and local college access network merged financial and institutional resources to develop a college success strategy for low-income students, youth of color, and/or first-generation students? Different partners each manage different parts of this college retention puzzle: Multi-year scholarship funding (Foundation), College Success Coach staffing (Community College), College Success Coach training & recruitment (University), and program management (LCAN). Learn how each partner leverages their expertise and resources to improve college access and persistence.

Presenters: Ashley Kryscynski, Washtenaw Futures College Access Network and Jessica ‘Decky’ Alexander, Eastern Michigan University

Track: College Persistence and Completion

Analyzing PSAT/SAT Student Scores to Create A Personal Plan of Improvement
Room 204

Participants will learn how to analyze a student's PSAT/SAT score in order to gain an understanding of what the score represents. By understanding what a PSAT/SAT score represents, you can better identify gaps in student learning. To do so, participants will be taken through the College Board score report portal allowing the data to be analyzed and broken down to identify the gaps in student learning. Participants will learn how to use Khan Academy as a personalized PSAT/SAT preparation program, along with the research relating to the correlation between student use of Khan Academy and improved scores will be shared.

Presenters: Ted Gardella, College Board; Tammy Jackson, Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals

Track: College Counseling and Advising

Evaluating Pre-College Programs: Strategies and Opportunities
Room 205

For college access professionals, the prospect of evaluating the impact of pre-college programs can be an overwhelming task. Still, knowing if and how a program impacts participants can be crucial to gain funding and to improve a program's outcomes. This session will give a basic overview of how to plan an evaluation and collect meaningful impact data. We will break things down into simple steps that will make the evaluation process manageable and straightforward. We will also discuss several examples of how Michigan State University Extension has evaluated the impact of our pre-college programs. Participants will walk away with practical tools and strategies that they can apply in planning evaluations and collecting evaluation data.

Presenter: Chelsea Hetherington, Michigan State University Extension

Track: College Counseling and Advising

Éxito Educativo
Room 203

Éxito Educativo is a partnership-based program that promotes academic success by bringing together Latino students and their parents to learn about the pathways to college. The program consists of six (6) two-hour long modules where participants learn about the benefits of a college education, the importance of family communications, engaging school personnel, and the influence of peers. This session showcases a program developed in partnership with with community organizations and university faculty and students to meet the college-going information needs of Latino students and families in Michigan. Key insights that MCAN participants will gain include information on educational barriers and issues specific to Latino students and families in Michigan, including immigrant, undocumented and DACAmented students.

Presenters: John Vasquez, Michigan State University Julian Samora Research Institute; Ruben Martinez, Michigan State University Julian Samora Research Institute; and Juan David Coronado, Michigan State University Julian Samora Research Institute

Track: Supporting Special Populations

Gearing Up for Pathways: Rallying Your Community to Promote Professional Trades
Room 202

There will be 55 million job openings in the economy through 2020: 24 million openings from newly created jobs and 31 million openings due to baby boomer retirements. Join this session to learn how one local college access network was inspired to recreate and publish a new career pathway resource in its community in hopes of boosting enrollment in local career and technical education programs. Presenters will discuss local, statewide and national trends in Career & Technical Education, while placing emphasis on utilizing professional networks and engaging local businesses to execute your own CTE Publication resource. The session will include useful materials and resources for those wanting to embark on their own community project.

Presenter: Terry Burleson, Battle Creek College Access Network

Track: Postsecondary Education Pathways

Preparing the Parents: Igniting Parent Involvement and Engagement in the College-Going Culture
Room 201

It takes a village to truly ingrain a college-going culture into a community. This village includes students, faculty, staff, community members, and most importantly: parents and guardians. Parent involvement is often times the missing piece to inconsistency within secondary education. In this session, we will talk about how we as college access agents can better involve parents and guardians in the college-going process and transition for their children, and how we can inform them of the resources available to them and their children. This session will provide the space to talk about parent involvement within the postsecondary planning process, as well as ideas on how to ensure parents feel empowered while embarking on a transition that they may not have any experience with.

Presenter: Kanyn Doan, AdviseMI

Track: Early Awareness

How America Pays for College 2017

Room 103/104

How America Pays for College, a national study by Sallie Mae® and Ipsos of undergraduates and their parents, looks at how families paid for college in the 2016-2017 academic year. This annual study, now in its tenth year, trends attitudes toward the value of college as well as which resources families draw on over time. This year’s study shows that while the average total amount spent on college was similar to the prior two years, families paid less from their income and savings than they had in 2015-16. On the other hand, scholarships and grants paid a larger share of costs as did student loans. The study also takes a closer look at the relationship between cost and school choice, and at the measures families take to make college more affordable. In addition to the average amounts paid and funding sources used by the typical family, the session will discuss the how resources differ by first-in-family students and by region of the country.

Presenter: Jenny Chandler, Sallie Mae

Track: College Counseling and Advising


BREAKOUT SESSION 5
Tuesday, March 13 | 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.

A Pipeline for Educational Success: Youth Services
Room 205

The goal of the State of Michigan's Martin Luther King, Jr. - César Chávez - Rosa Parks (KCP) Initiative is to increase the number of Michigan's most educationally or economically disadvantaged citizens who complete college degrees and experience career success as active participants in a knowledge-based global economy. By providing seed money to Michigan's public and independent four-year postsecondary institutions, multi-pronged retention strategies are developed and implemented to address barriers impacting equality of opportunity and achievement. Presenters will share information on the six unique KCP Programs designed to assist students along the academic pipeline from 7th grade through graduate work to achieve KCP's goal.

Presenters: Kelly Simmons, Talent Investment Agency and Joseph Baynesan, Talent Investment Agency

Track: College Persistence and Completion

Better College Essays in Less Time
Room 204

Many school counselors feel unprepared or unable to adequately support students as they write college application essays. The good news is that you don’t need a lot of time, money, or other resources to be a great essay coach. In this session, Wow Writing Workshop CEO Susan Knoppow will share insights and tips developed while guiding college applicants, school counselors, English teachers and volunteers through the essay writing process. Participants will better understand how to help students quickly and efficiently, and will receive a link to download simple lessons, worksheets, and writing exercises related to topic development and essay reviews.

Presenter: Susan Knoppow, Wow Writing Workshop

Track: College Counseling and Advising

Expanding Inclusive Options and Access at Michigan Institutions of Higher Education
Room 203

There is scarcity of inclusive postsecondary education options for students leaving K-12 with intellectual disabilities in Michigan. In addition, students with disabilities who are enrolled in college courses often are met with obstacles to learning, posed by the course materials themselves. In this session, Dr. Jennifer Coyle (WMU) and Michael Bray (MI-DDI at WSU) will engage participants in a discussion of current efforts to create and support inclusive postsecondary options and ways to enhance access and success in higher education classrooms using Universal Design for Learning.

Presenters: Michael Bray, Michigan Developmental Disabilities Institute and Jennifer Coyle, Western Michigan University

Track: Supporting Special Populations

Roadmap to Success: Michigan’s Education and Career Pathfinder
Room 202

Find out how TIA’s newest online career exploration tool can help students, parents, counselors, and others find roadmaps to education, training and career success. Pathfinder helps users make more informed decisions about their options for a successful future by using real-time, value-added information to show return on investment on education and training opportunities. See how Pathfinder works with a live demonstration and gain an understanding of the data that drives it.

Presenter: Natalie Kochendorfer, Talent Investment Agency; Jennifer Spaulding, Talent Investment Agency

Track: Postsecondary Education Pathways

Summer Impact 2.0
Governor’s Room

This session will share the experience of a community collaborative initiative called Summer Impact with the goal of increasing the number of students who graduate from Lansing Schools and stayed firm in their decision to start at Lansing Community College the fall after high school graduation. Workshop participants will explore the problem of Summer Melt, review best practices to engage students, build relationships and a sense of community identity and belonging, understand two-year data, and outcomes of the initiative. Collaborative partners will include speakers from Lansing Community College, Lansing School District, Lansing Promise, and the Capital Area College Access Network.

Presenters: Michele Strasz, Capital Area College Access Network; Andrea Tarry, Lansing Community College; and Teri Bernero, Lansing School District

Track: College Persistence and Completion

We’re All In This Together: Building a School Wide Toolkit to Intentionally Grow a College Going Culture!
Room 201

How can champions for college access within a high school setting build a solid foundation for a college going culture that will encourage growth with each year? This session will provide a blueprint for a dynamic, school specific College Going Culture Toolkit. Hosted in Google, this toolkit is accessible to staff and teachers in the school, encouraging collaboration and consistency. Discussion will outline strategies to create a well organized plan for documenting successful (and not so successful) initiatives at the school. This documentation will then inform decision making while planning for the following years. Generating this initial framework will further build the college going culture in the school, leading to more students seeking out postsecondary education, all without increasing the size of the counseling team!

Presenters: Nina Gennusa, Michigan State University College Advising Corps and Christina Igl, Michigan State University College Advising Corps

Track: Early Awarness